Sunday, November 13, 2011

Paper Mache Ornaments - Christmas is in the air!

Hello everyone!

Today I am posting some ornaments I made for the window display at a local book store I consign my crafts at. These were painted and then embellished with ribbon, glitter, laser wood cutouts and some book pages. No how to today... just some ideas. Most of these cost me under $2 to make (though I took advantage of the 50% off sale at Hobby Lobby to get these paper mache ornaments down to $1 and $1.50 each)

Here is the type of ornament I started with. I found the shapes I used in this post at Hobby Lobby.

This one is one of my favorites.... I will have more in different color schemes in a later post...

The window display is in red, teal, silver and white... I love this color combo for a fresh looking and eye catching Christmas display.
 The one up above was done with some felt ribbon too.

 I have to admit that the snowflake below was one that gave me the biggest creative block... I found and painted this wooded holly shape and fell in love with the burst of red. All these supplies were found at Hobby Lobby.
Have a wonderful day! It's never to early to start crafting for Christmas!!! I would love to see what you all have been working on... Thanksgiving, Halloween or Christmas... this is my favorite time of year! Please share a link in the comments below. Happy Holidays everyone!
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Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Happy and Honored to anounce...

Happy and honored to anounce that I have been selected for a second term with Helmar USA Design team.

Announcing the Helmar 2011-2012 Design Team!!!

Design_Team

We are pleased to announce our 2011-2012 Helmar Design Team!
  • Tracy Weinzapfel (Design Team Coordinator)
  • Erika Taylor
  • Jessica Diedrich
  • Jen Erickson
  • L. Grace Lauer
  • Connie Mercer
  • Carisa Czlobicki
  • Angie Blom
  • Karen Taylor
  • Martha Richardson
  • Cheryl Boglioli
  • Trudy Sjolander
  • Jennifer Evans
  • Carolyn King
  • Natasha Naranjo Aguirre
  • Lydell Quin
  • Beck Beattie
  • Michelle Wallace
  • Renee Aslette
  • Rae Cooper
  • Linda Baldock
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Saturday, November 5, 2011

Decorating on a Dollar - A Gourd by Any Other Name...

Today I want to show you a wonderful idea that should cost any of you less then a $1 in supplies. We will be re-purposing a used book that has seen better days. Instead of recycling this worn out beast lets create something beautiful out of it.

Book Pumpkin #1
Supplies:
Step 1: Rip off the front and back covers of the paper back book. Begin cutting with an exacto knife the curve of the pumpkin. (It can be done with scissors but it is a bit harder to control your edges and shape.)
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Step 2: Once you have cut all the pages into the pumpkin curve you need to ink it with a golden/orange color to help create the "pumpkin" look.
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Step 3: Using Helmar 450 Quick Dry, glue the front and back pages and inside the back binding to each other, opening the book 360 degrees. Hold in place for a couple of min and begin to separate any pages clumped together. NOTE: Helmar 450 Quick Dry really is the best glue for the job here. No Joke! I tried to use a hot glue gun for this step and found that the head melts the origional binding glue and it winds up to be a bigger mess (with the binding falling apart) then you wanted.

Step 4: Using Helmar Gemstone Glue select 7-9 pages around the pumpkin to run a bead of glue on from top to bottom. Glitter with Pumpkin Colored fine art glitter and let dry.

Step 5: While step 4 is drying take a brown paper bag and twist and contort it into a stem for your pumpkin. I added brown puff paint to give it more of a two tone color. Fancy cut some fall leaves out of paper (I used a sheet from Robin's Nest) and glitter with Gemstone Glue and a gold colored glitter.
Step 6: Using Helmar 450 glue the paper bag Stem onto the pumpkin and embellish with fancy cut glittered leaves and some flowers.
Here are a few more examples of the pumpkins. Enjoy and Have a Happy Helmar Day!
Short and fat:
Book Pumpkin #2 short and fat
Tall and lumpy:
Book Pumpkin #4 tall and concave sides
L. Grace Lauer  
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Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Halloween - How am I going to top this one?

Okay, so I need to let you all know that every year I go all out and make the family costumes. Every year it gets harder and harder to make them amazing. This year my daughter decided she wanted to be a paper doll (as seen on the front of the Family Fun magazine, October cover).
Just some poster board and markers... sure... that's easy I thought... LOL! Easy sure... but simple... not if your me. Sometimes I feel I dig myself holes that are bigger then I wish they were when I am down in the middle of them.

Here she is... a 3D Paper Doll Ballerina! (used Helmar 450 all the way! It works great with crate and tissue paper!)


 Here is my costume as a "Literary Work of Art" (used Helmar Acid Free and a splash of water to use with a paint brush to "paper mache" the book pages onto the dress)


The local paper got a hold of us too and put my daughter on the front page!


Then put us both and a small article about Scarysville night and how my costume was the most original.
We also won the best Family Costumes award from our local candy store, The Candy Box,  on D St. Here are the kids with the bucket of candy we won! Tristan was Bumblebee!



As if that was not enough my hubby and I won "Best Costume" and "Scariest Costume" at our friends Halloween party. We got the cutest little trophies and some Denny's Gift Cards!

I hope you all had a Happy and Safe Halloween!


Moon/Lunar Fairy - with articulated wings

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Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Helmar Design Team Call - 2011/12

Helmar Design Team Call - 2011/12

Here is a copy of the Helmar design team call post. Check out this amazing team that I have had the honor of being a part of for the last 6 months! 

Helmar_USA 

"
HelmarDesign Team Call 2011/2

Helmar USA, Inc, distributes Helmar Adhesives & Art Mediums.  Have you had dreams at night that adhesives would land on your doorstep?  Do you want to be a part of one of the most creative teams and work with products from the most amazing manufacturers?  Well, that dream can come true…….Helmar USA, Inc. wants YOU to become a member of our Design Team!
We are looking for new Helmar Design Team Members!!!  We are looking for enthusiastic, dedicated designers and paper crafters to serve a six-month term beginning  November 1, 2011 (Continuation of the term will be determined by both parties at the end of six months.)
As a Design Team Member, you will receive:
*Advance releases of products!
Adhesives!
*Endorsement fees for published layouts and projects!
*Payment for projects used for trade shows!
The latest & greatest products from our Preferred Vendors (USA)!
Helmar Design Team Members are required to:
  • Dedication to a minimum of (2) blog posts per month.  More are LOVELY! 
  • Dedication to your personal blogs which means keeping them fresh and mentioning Helmar products (we will do our best to promote you personally as well which is a win-win for everyone).  Keeping them fresh and new is important.
  • Involvement with social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.  Facebook at minimum is required.  This is the future for the industry and plays an even bigger part now than publications.
  • Dedication to our preferred vendors.  They treat us great!  We work very hard to secure those relationships.
  • Optional...Teaching experience.  We are expanding our marketing efforts and the best way to do this is by demonstration and teaching. 
  • Another great plus is video tutorials.....and step-by-step projects or kits featuring Helmar products.
  • Members are asked to submit their monthly Helmar projects for possible publication in crafting magazines and idea books.
  • Members will also complete special projects as requested by Helmar to be used for trade shows, catalogs, promotional items, and various other venues.
Interested applicants should send the following in a single email:
  1. Name, address, daytime & evening phone numbers, and email address (USA, Canadian, Australian & New Zealand applicants only, please due to shipping constraints).  Current and prior Design Team Members welcome to apply!
  2. Please indicate if you are applying to be a Design Team Member or Educator.
  3. Short biography
  4. Links to any on-line galleries and/or blog
  5. Link to Facebook/Twitter Pages
  6. List of other design teams in which you are currently or were previously a member.  NOTE:  Members are encouraged to be on other design teams (except for competing adhesive companies) and partner their products with Helmar Adhesives & Art Mediums. 
  7. A brief paragraph stating why you would like to be a member of our Design Team.
  8. Three example projects (layouts, altered projects paper crafting projects, etc.) no larger than 150k each – Make sure to list any special adhesive techniques used and list the Helmar products.  NOTE:  You are not required to use Helmar adhesives for your application however, that is preferred so we see how creative you are with our products. 
  9. Anything else you want us to know about you…..what sets you apart from the rest?  We want to see your enthusiasm!
  10. Optional:  Please provide Links to your YouTube or Ustream page including a link to a video showing your demonstration or teaching techniques.  Please do not send the video in your email (only a link).
Please submit the above information to info@helmarusa.com  by October 26, 2011. No late entries will be accepted. The new Design Team members will be announced on our website.
For additional information on our products, visit our design team blog at:  www.helmarusa.typepad.com.  Feel free to EMAIL any questions to info@helmarusa.com

Tracy WeinzapfelPresident, Helmar USA, Inc."

You can do it!!!! Go for it! I would love to see you on this team!!!!

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